Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-23


| inevitably scorch up all that is still left
| alive, and perhaps even destroy irrepara-
bly, the fertility of the ground.''
| IT am of opinion, " said Father Bournot,
with an air of profound reflection, "that
the ground having been already blessed
with all the ceremonies of our holy church,
no evil spirit could have power to injure
it; and that even if rain were sent with
that intention, the holy water with which
it has already been sprfnkled would neu-
tralize its malignant qualities and turn
into blessing what was designed as a
curse. -
''That appears to me very reasonable, :"
said Father Rosie; "and at any rate, as
the boy has not yet been baptized, do
not see what harm could result from per-
hitting him to make the trial, we mean
while standing by with bell, book and
candle ready to interfere if occasion de-
mands y
can excellent ideal" cried Father Bour
not, rising with alacrity. cit will be q
fine stroke of revenge, too, to make the
devil. who works so often to our injury,
work for once to our profit"
''Foolish man, exclaimed Father Tenn
pie, Gas if the devil has not thousand
subtle subterfuges unfathomable tos hui
man penetration
Nevertheless, seeing that the others
were B.at oton the experiment, he made
| no further opposition, but, opening his
breviary, began to read attentively, while
the Fathers Bournot and Rosie brought
from the sacristy basin of holy water,
four blessed Candles lighted taper and a
small bell, which the altar boys were ac-
customed to ring during the mass. These,
after much consultation, it was decided to
conceal under the bench, lest they should
! work a counter spell so strong as to inter-
fere altogether with the COMPUTATIONS of
6aat; the which being done, the three con-
senting fathers ranged themselves in
front of their sacred ammunition, each
one carefully clasping his crucifX beneath
fold in his robe, and Father Fraize indi-
Gated to Saat that he might proceed.
Saat, who had not in the least compre-
hended all these preparations, at once
darted off to the orangery, whence he
soon returned with three perfectly inno-
cent looking oranges. The holy fathers
exchanged glances of smiling incredulity
at this mild beginning to performance
of such wonderful promise, but
Saat, quite unembarrassed by their
gaze and appearing, indeed, to to-
tally ignore their presence, placed his
oranges upon the ground, carefully meas
uring the spaces between them, then,
withdrawing to a short distance, pros
trated himself before each in turn with
the utmost respect. After saluting in
this reverential manner the representa-
tives of his pagan trinity, the youthful
sorcerer furnished himself with three
small branches from an orange tree, and,
with renewed prostrations, planted one in
each orange. A third time he went
through this ceremony, accompanying his
genufexions with an unintelligible NUT
tering, probably some cabalistic incanta-
ton; then rising with one of the green
twigs in his hand turned his eyes,
strangely glittering with light more than
human, toward the wind swept sky. High
up against the lustrous blue lowered O.
tiny cloud, hardly larger than a doves
wing, and transparent as a lady's lace
handkerchief. Saat, his small form
seeming to dilate with some mysterious
inward force, fixed his glittering eyes
upon this tiny cloud, at the same time ex-
tending his orange branch with an air of
irresistible command, when, to the utter
amazement of the good fathers, fine
rain Immediately began to descend upon
the thirsty garden beds.
"a LOW thOpS, pOuCUl CtCluS5 uuC lIuClStlCCS
of the arbor, CHANGED to fall upon the
tonsured head of Father Temple, who had
not ceased to read his breviary during all
these mummeries. Springing to his feet
in CONSERVATION, he began to run to and
fro, rubbing his head and crying out that
he was scalded, whereupon Father Rosie,
with admirable presence of mind, seized
the benitier and drenched him with it's
contents. But Father Bournot put
forth his hand and gatherings heat curled
vine leaf, in whose hollow little water
had gathered, boldly drank it down. de-
claring it to be cool and sweet as any that
ever fell from heaven in answer to the
most sanity prayer.
For a whole hour the rain continued to
fall with gentle, whispering sound,
Saat still maintaining his attitude of COM
mand with branch extended toward the
tiny cloud which neither expanded nor
grew less. The dropping corn revived
and lifted up it's shining blades rejoicingly,
the bean vines clothed themselves anew
in broad green leaves, seeming to climb
visibly higher on their supporting poles,
while the rotund pumpkins appeared to
swell and glow with a deeper golden hue
before the astonished eyes of the bewil-
dered monks.
ga miracle without doubt" murmured
the good Pere Fraize, 'but to what saint
shall we ascribe it?''
cit is as said,' returned Father Bour-
not triumphantly. ''The powers of evil
themselves can work only good within
consecrated walls, and we have captured
benefit from the very devil''
Nevertheless, - maintained Father
Temple, eff the holy water and candles
!, RI of r hoe
read my breviary, it might have ended
quite differently"
In the mean time, the rain having
ceased, Saat, the supernatural light not
yet entirely faded from his eyes, but in all
other respects quite restored to his nor
mally grave and dignified demeanor, gath
cred up the oranges and the little gree1.
branches and, carrying them to corner
of the garden, reverently buried them in
the moist earth.
But although the genuineness of the
miracle was attested by the fact that not
a drop of rain had fallen outside the con-
vent walls, and it's benevolent character
fully maintained by the plenteous crop of
maize, beans and pumpkins gathered in a
few weeks later, the good fathers were
agreed that they were not safe with a
pagan sorcerer of such power in their
midst, and Saat was accordingly baptized
with prayers and ceremonies of unusual
solemnity and highest exercising power
He received the name of Amable, under
which Christian sounding appellation he
was still living at Martinique in the year
1719 life of disenchanted usefulness
Felix Gray in The Times-Democrat.
A Sad and Gloomy Fate.
"There goes an illustration" said
gentleman at the Morton house. "of the
mental suffering an innocent witness of
memorable tragedy may endure through
life. That's John Matthews, the well
known and everywhere liked comedian.
He happened to be playing with Laura
Keene at Washington when Booth muir
dered Lincoln at Ford's theatre. Mat
thews, always gentle and womanly in his
temperament, received a nervous shock
on that occasion from which he has never
recovered. 1t is really painful to see the
distressing change in his disposition. He